Video Gaming, Teaching and History Blog. By William Peacock (aka RedHeadPeak).

Which games would benefit from a Zelda weapon?

I am currently in the final stages of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds; I’m one of those gamers that can’t possibly take on the final boss if there is still a collectible out there. Each Zelda series has always been full of items and weapons, but when playing Link Between Worlds it really strikes me just how much item variety there is.

This thought then manifested: why do Legend of Zelda games get so many tools and weapons, but other game characters are restricted to a pile of slightly different guns. Could a game or franchise be vastly improved by borrowing an item from Link? Below are a few suggestions to show you what I mean:

Call of Duty found the Power Glove!

I’m of the opinion that the ‘realistic’ shooter is overrated. After all, Call of Duty: Ghostsincludes an orbital space station, a guerrilla team with more high-end tech than the crew of the enterprise, and dogs with the fighting prowess of Rambo. I think Link’s Power Glove would fit in nicely.

With this simple piece of costume, the user can push and lift huge boulders like they were empty boxes. The glove is usually employed to clear paths, but it’s a weapon that every CoD player could enjoy.

Do you like throwing grenades? Try throwing artillery shells instead! Attack helicopter bearing down on you? Spear that thing with a tree branch! Pinned behind a burnt out car? Push that cover forwards! Or you could just throw the car at them!

Tomb Raider found the hook Shot!

Lara Croft is a versatile character. Aside from handguns and assault weapons, the new and improved (or the old and improved?) Lara has made great use of a climbing axe and rope lines. With these items she can slowly ascend mountains, slide clumsily across crevices or awkwardly drag objects.

Why not give Croft the Hook Shot? Held in one hand, the user only needs to aim at any object and the chain will fire out at great speed. If the target is loose, then the user can pull it towards them without effort. If the target is held down though, the Hook Shot will pull the user towards the target.

Lara would fly through the air, in any direction, or collect items metres away whilst firing on her enemy. In addition, Lara still has a hand free to fire her hand gun whilst flying through the air! Shooting whilst somersaulting and back-flipping are already in this girls’ repertoire; let’s give her the chance to show off true aerial combat. And yes, she can still drag enemies off ledges…

Grand Theft Auto found the Pegasus Boots!

Grand Theft Auto is mostly about driving. Whether you are racing, speeding away from the cops or just cruising along the freeway, driving in GTA is fun. You agree? Good.

This fact makes getting out of a vehicle the low point of the game. Oh, once you find something to shoot at the fun can begin again, but travelling on foot to a new location can be tedious.

Slip on a pair of Pegasus Boots and being the pedestrian gets a lot more entertaining. Sprint at huge speeds, use your momentum to leap three times as far, charge through enemy fire. Every time you crash your car atop a mountain, the odious task of marching down the hill is replaced with a gleeful hop, skip and jump back down to the road.

Uncharted found the Boomerang!

Something has always bugged me about Nathan Drake. He is forever getting himself into situations where he must take on countless soldiers, with stealth or with bullets, but never tries to make his life easier. He knows how to sneak up on his enemies, but forces himself to wrestle each one to the ground like a barbarian.

Now if Drake had Link’s Boomerang, there’d be no need for brute force. One throw and the unknowing guard takes a knock-out blow to the head. This boomerang has a special feature – it will return to the user even if they move! No matter where Drake goes, this awesome item will find a way back to him.

This isn’t just a weapon either. Link’s Boomerang can pick up items on its flight. Drake can take out a guard and pick up desperately needed ammo without leaving cover!

Your Thoughts?

Would Link’s bag of tricks improve these games? Or would these items spoil the fun? What other games might benefit from a little Legend of Zelda inspiration?